Distraction and poor experience main causes of motor accidents in Thailand: survey

[Loles]

NO, IT'S NOT TUE AT ALL.

These are the true reasons:

1. speeding

2. drunk drivers

3. poor experiences with out car-school

4. idiot loading to trucks

5. sleeper drivers

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

It's recent Pulitzer Organization study.

Thailand is second only to Dominican Republic for per capita traffic fatalities.

http://roadskillmap.com/#17.895114303749143,26.806640624999996,1

[Maggusoil]

Driving up the wrong side of the road is a bit of a fundamental problem I find. Seems they didn't survey the 10 to 14 year old motorcycling portion of society either.

. . . AND how confusing this is at night

[lostmebike]

It's recent Pulitzer Organization study.

Thailand is second only to Dominican Republic for per capita traffic fatalities.

http://roadskillmap.com/#17.895114303749143,26.806640624999996,1

And with a population 6 times the size of the republic, there's obviously a hell of a lot more accidents.

[Westaurel]

The same type of young bastards thinking everything is due to them ! Don't respect the zebras lines and driving like motherf... ! Son of b...

[lostmebike]

I don't know why they build highways/motorway/express ways or whatever else they're called. Everyone is either petrified of the inside lane or addicted to the outside/fast lane here.

Why waste money on carriage ways with multiple lanes if nobody uses them. The police will soon stop and fine you for speeding but an articulated truck doing 60 km/h in the outside lane and holding everyone up, not dangerous at all! Apart from it leads to under taking, another perilous activity on Thai roads.

Well that's my rant of the day

[ayaz khan]

But during driving use of cell fone is must to ask her street#. !!! Hehehe

[kirk0233]

Unbelievably, Thais think their driving behavior is respresentative of the driving found in other countries; just normal driving on the wrong side, but since it is normal it is not the wrong side.

[boomerangutang]

Thais know all about politeness when it comes to where not to show the soles of their feet, etc, but they know diddly squat about being polite regarding modern (for them) things, like phones, queues and vehicles.

Or perhaps they have an inkling about what's rude, but choose to be rude nevertheless.

[Crushdepth]

Apart from drink driving, driving on the wrong side of the road, and the general contempt for red lights.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Crushdepth

[bgrvian]

Oh my Buddha,

With all these posts one might conclude driving here is difficult at best and down right dangerous. When the venting dies down, lets make a list, do a poll, get the 100% distribution of the real causes of all the accidents. Should be entertaining.

[sirchai]

Eight % no license? Wishful thinking. I know that most in my wife's village don't have one. Oh, that might be the eight %.-

[sabaii69]

DWT (Driving Whilst Thai) is a major factor. Ever see a Thai with a license?

[wprime]

I believe the tinting the car windows to the point when you can barely see out of them may contribute as well.

Don't be silly, in Thailand those accidents are caused by it being too dark outside.

[laobali]

I am currently driving 100 kph on my scooter with my wife, 2 kids, and dog hanging off the back. We all are carrying a bag of groceries....

hold on, going through tunnel.

whoa, roads are wet.

anyhow, i agree, way to many clowns out there not being safe!!!!

You've taught the dog to carry a bag too?

[Andre0720]

No mention of alcohol.! must be that Thainess, again.

I think that would be up there as a major cause.

On all that has been posted here of so many factors of how the incidents took place, and rightly so, BUT again if licenses were issued to drivers after proving they could drive in a safe manner -----police patrolled and stopped the stupidity/punished NOT collect money----Parents became responsible for KEYS to vehicles,------roads repaired to safety standards-PARTICULALLY motor bike lanes on highways, large pot holes that buckle wheels and throw off m/c riders. Government-police-schools-PARENTS should be made to be accountable for their under aged children riding/driving.

Under age driving (motorbikes) appear to me as the less dangerous drivers.

The kids ride motorbikes the same way kids ride bicycles back home.

The only difference here is that there are no pedals.

But as soon as they grow older, they get wreckless, combined with knowing that wreckless driving can be done with impunity in Thailand. And that any type of driving and parking can be done with impunity as well...

Check the driving of experienced pick-up drivers who certainly have a driver's licence in good standing...

[ginjag]

No mention of alcohol.! must be that Thainess, again.

I think that would be up there as a major cause.

On all that has been posted here of so many factors of how the incidents took place, and rightly so, BUT again if licenses were issued to drivers after proving they could drive in a safe manner -----police patrolled and stopped the stupidity/punished NOT collect money----Parents became responsible for KEYS to vehicles,------roads repaired to safety standards-PARTICULALLY motor bike lanes on highways, large pot holes that buckle wheels and throw off m/c riders. Government-police-schools-PARENTS should be made to be accountable for their under aged children riding/driving.

Under age driving (motorbikes) appear to me as the less dangerous drivers.

The kids ride motorbikes the same way kids ride bicycles back home.

The only difference here is that there are no pedals.

But as soon as they grow older, they get wreckless, combined with knowing that wreckless driving can be done with impunity in Thailand. And that any type of driving and parking can be done with impunity as well...

Check the driving of experienced pick-up drivers who certainly have a driver's licence in good standing...

Agree wholeheartedly about less dangerous, BUT they should not be on the road, and the UNCARING parent if any feeling should not give the key.

My kid would never have the key until he is old enough, and have a license. Most of the kids you talk about have no Hats on. I would SH#t bricks if it was my kid. But I was brought up I think properly-with parental care from humble background.

[Rockhopper]

It will never change until driver education is a required class in school. And it must be taught by qualified instructors, preferably Westerners.

[Andre0720]

Well I can agree.

Though the daughter of my girlfriend went to school on a motorbike before she could get a driver's licence.

I see how she drives.

She drives responsibly.

But most of the time she does not wear a helmet.

Just like everyone else here.

She is no danger on the road....No danger.

My son is 15, back home.

I wonder...if he was here rather than with his mom... I think he would ride responsibly. But would he wear a helmet???

I see many people take off their helmets once they have gone through the regular police checkpoints....

[Lancelot]

Yeah updating one's Face Book page while driving does cause some accidents.

But take away all the cell phones, car radios and there would still be way too many accidents because most drivers simply don't care. I have forgotten the number of times a car would recklessly cut in front of me, no signals, then slam on the breaks 200 meters later to buy grilled chicken from a road side vendor. (As an added bonus they block one lane, stay in the car and scream instructions to the poor vendor selling food)

[wilcopops]

Why do so many think this is just a queue for Thai -bashing?

Don't blame other drivers - it's YOU that are at least part of the problem - until you face that fact you will be a danger to other drivers regardless of what county you are in

[ginjag]

Well I can agree.

Though the daughter of my girlfriend went to school on a motorbike before she could get a driver's licence.

I see how she drives.

She drives responsibly.

But most of the time she does not wear a helmet.

Just like everyone else here.

She is no danger on the road....No danger.

My son is 15, back home.

I wonder...if he was here rather than with his mom... I think he would ride responsibly. But would he wear a helmet???

I see many people take off their helmets once they have gone through the regular police checkpoints....

Biggest problem here (with respect) is, Why does your GF allow it ??? nothing to do with being Thai it's to with responsibility.

The girl may well drive responsibly, BUT her lack of thought for the helmet speaks volumes about her mother. look I am giving you an honest answer,

She maybe no danger on the road as you think but again does her mother think her hairstyle is more important than death ??? and if she had an accident who is going to pay-no insurance company-for sure.

The last thing is other people are maybe more careless and it could be them that hits her motorbike.---you and your girlfriend will have to live with the problem if one occurs. But I hope it will not come to that, she has a one in ten chance only.

[boomerangutang]

It will never change until driver education is a required class in school. And it must be taught by qualified instructors, preferably Westerners.

Driver education might help a bit, but you can't teach decency. Decency, courtesy, calmness (not always being in such a hurry), not being so selfish, ....are things which are part of good character. How to instill such attributes in Thai drivers? Not easy.

[Andre0720]

Well I can agree.

Though the daughter of my girlfriend went to school on a motorbike before she could get a driver's licence.

I see how she drives.

She drives responsibly.

But most of the time she does not wear a helmet.

Just like everyone else here.

She is no danger on the road....No danger.

My son is 15, back home.

I wonder...if he was here rather than with his mom... I think he would ride responsibly. But would he wear a helmet???

I see many people take off their helmets once they have gone through the regular police checkpoints....

Biggest problem here (with respect) is, Why does your GF allow it ??? nothing to do with being Thai it's to with responsibility.

The girl may well drive responsibly, BUT her lack of thought for the helmet speaks volumes about her mother. look I am giving you an honest answer,

She maybe no danger on the road as you think but again does her mother think her hairstyle is more important than death ??? and if she had an accident who is going to pay-no insurance company-for sure.

The last thing is other people are maybe more careless and it could be them that hits her motorbike.---you and your girlfriend will have to live with the problem if one occurs. But I hope it will not come to that, she has a one in ten chance only.

Thanks for your (kind) thoughts..

Looks like she allows it (sic), because everybody else does...

I try to be of some influence, but darn...not sure if I can change the way it is in Thailand.

When I asked a policeman about kids driving without a drivers's licence, reply was, as you can already guess...'Mai bpen rai'.

And my girlfriend says,,,,students going to school, no policeman will bother with that...

But I still think she drives responsibly...

According to Thailand standards.... And better so...

[wedders]

One more to add to my earlier rant. Undertaking - especially when I'm in the left lane, indicating (in good time) to take a left turn, some dozy motorcyclist will come steaming up on the inside regardless.

What's more, they look at you as if YOU have done something stupid!

Which reminds me - my gf took her test after considerable persuasion a month back. She came home with the 'driving code' booklet a couple of days earlier, looked at me in amazement, and said "teerak, it say have to overtake on right side!"

Sums it up really.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Of course that same motorcyclist isn't legally allowed to go to the outside lane to overtake you so they can only pass you on the inside. You need to be the one watching out for them.

Are you certain about that? That sounds very dubious to me. I shan't wake my gf to check what the booklet said, but she specifically mentioned the requirement to pass on the outside, not the inside.

Plus if I am the vehicle in front, ,in the left-hand lane, signalling in good time to turn left, it is not my fault if some moron comes steaming up the inside regardless.

[Jim walker]

And one solid cause of motor accident is the motorists themselves Stupidity and ignorance biggest cause of road accidents in Thailand, Thais dont need to learn about driving because they know everything anyway thats the beauty of being Thai.

[wedders]

 

One more to add to my earlier rant. Undertaking - especially when I'm in the left lane, indicating (in good time) to take a left turn, some dozy motorcyclist will come steaming up on the inside regardless.

What's more, they look at you as if YOU have done something stupid!

Which reminds me - my gf took her test after considerable persuasion a month back. She came home with the 'driving code' booklet a couple of days earlier, looked at me in amazement, and said "teerak, it say have to overtake on right side!"

Sums it up really.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Of course that same motorcyclist isn't legally allowed to go to the outside lane to overtake you so they can only pass you on the inside. You need to be the one watching out for them.

 

Are you certain about that? That sounds very dubious to me. I shan't wake my gf to check what the booklet said, but she specifically mentioned the requirement to pass on the outside, not the inside. 

 

Plus if I am the vehicle in front, ,in the left-hand lane, signalling in good time to turn left, it is not my fault if some moron comes steaming up the inside regardless.

And I now have confirmation. The code says to overtake on the RIGHT-HAND side. Assuming it's safe to do so, of course.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Jim walker]

My wife was a terrible selfish driver when she first arrived in the UK 12 years ago Thai licence is valid in the UK for 1 year from arrival date and she told me she had paid the princely sum of 500Bt for her driving licence, so I had to start from scratch with her and driving lessons, now even in Thailand she is a reasonably courteous driver with only a little bit of road rage in her now mainly if cut up or lack of indicators, all she has to do now is spread the word amongst other Thais people will show you respect on the road if you respect them.

[boomerangutang]

My wife was a terrible selfish driver when she first arrived in the UK 12 years ago Thai licence is valid in the UK for 1 year from arrival date and she told me she had paid the princely sum of 500Bt for her driving licence, so I had to start from scratch with her and driving lessons, now even in Thailand she is a reasonably courteous driver with only a little bit of road rage in her now mainly if cut up or lack of indicators, all she has to do now is spread the word amongst other Thais people will show you respect on the road if you respect them.

If/When a Thai driver first goes to drive in the UK or US, they probably think all the drivers are opiated out. They tend to stay in lanes, not shoot past other cars which are slowing down for a red light. Drivers from Europe or US are much less likely to run red lights, disregard lane markings (as much as all four wheels on wrong side of road, for Thais), cut blind corners, and farang will almost never drive on the wrong side of the road. Thais probably think farang drivers are whimps.

[dighambara]

Experiments done by various Universities in the US have shown that using a telephone is 6 times more dangerous than driving drunk.

Which reminds me - about 18 months ago, while I was out walking (on the street), I saw a car weaving badly - moving slowly down the lane, drifting first to one side then the other. My first impression was the driver was drunk, but as I approached, I saw that the young lady was talking on her cell phone...